Midwest Living Review

Lisa Meyers McClintick

This St. Paul-based outfitter leads people of all abilities and ages into the outdoors for day paddles on the Mississippi River, camping along the St. Croix and a variety of multiday adventures to places such as Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area, South Dakota's Custer State Park and Wisconsin's Apostle Islands.

If you've always wanted a true outdoor experience but lacked the expertise or equipment, nonprofit Wilderness Inquiry guides people on trips across the globe. Most, though, are in the Midwest and often in Minnesota, where the organization was founded in St. Paul in 1978. Guides adapt trips to the participants' abilities and experience, making rugged destinations possible for people in wheelchairs or needing assistance with mobility.Trips may be a day of paddling the Mississippi through the heart of the Twin Cities or camping on remote northern islands. Each experience helps participants appreciate nature, work as a group, learn new skills and tap inner strengths with new challenges. Trips to a variety of destinations are designated for adults, women or families. Wisconsin's Apostle Islands and Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area rank among the top destinations. Wilderness Inquiry has its own Little Sand Bay Base Camp near the Apostles with platform tents and running water, which isn't typical for most trips. Boundary Waters trips range from five to seven days.